Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. Whether it is sharing an Instagram story with your friends, shopping via a Facebook ad, watching a weekly vlog by your favourite YouTube influencer, or retweeting an interesting tweet by a politician: social media is no longer just used to maintain contact with your friends and family. Nowadays, companies and organizations have incorporated social media channels into their DNA, as they recognize that the use of social media is essential to get in touch with certain target groups and to effectively present themselves to the world.
We know that social media is one of the key ways to maintain contact and build a community, but what do we actually mean by social media, and how do people use these online platforms in their daily lives? Social media is a collective term for online platforms that enable users to publish content with or without editorial or professional intervention. Besides user-generated content, interaction and dialogue between users are key features of social media. It is for this reason that social media is really human work. It places the users at the centre, and the communication that results from it is completely natural. Do not use social media to impress people; use it to make an impact on people.
Some interesting facts:
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In 2020, 1.3 million new users joined a social media platform every day (Hootsuite).
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Each person spends an average of 2 hours and 25 minutes per day on social networks (Hootsuite).
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On average, Millennials log on to social media for an average of 2 hours and 38 minutes per day, while Gen Z logs in for 2 hours and 55 minutes (World Economic Forum).
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It is no secret that social media platforms play a big role in our daily lives. These online platforms can be used to engage with current followers, to reach new target audiences, and ultimately to contribute to a positive reputation.
It cannot be denied that social media must be given a prominent place in our organization. However, in order to maximize our engagement with current and potential followers, our platforms must be organized more effectively. Doing so will also allow us to analyse the dialogue taking place on the platforms and to optimize not only the channels themselves but also the working methods around them. In this way, we can increase our reach, optimize our online reputation, build a real community with each other, and maintain the strong and reliable brand name of the University of Groningen.
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2.0 Our three overarching goals
With a rich heritage and an academic tradition dating back to 1614, the University of Groningen is an academic community with a strong sense of belonging and a culture of innovative teaching and research. Within this community, we can be curious, ask questions with an open mind, and engage with each other and with society. In this way, the University enables its students to become active, independent, critical, and responsible citizens of the world. Innovation, open-mindedness, and especially engagement with society are therefore at the heart of the brand strategy of the UG. They are essential to our University’s future. Therefore, they are the input for our three social media objectives for the coming years.
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